P is for Perilby Sue Grafton

When a rich physician who operates one of Santa Teresa's best nursing homes disappears, who else could be called on to solve the case but Kinsey Millhone?

Dowan Purcell is as respected as Marcus Welby and seems to have a life worth dying for. He has a beautiful and sexy young trophy wife, Crystal, yet manages to maintain a cordial friendship with his ex-wife, Fiona Purcell. Fiona, who fancies herself an avante guard designer, has become suspicious that her ex-hubby has met with foul play. She's worried enough to hire her own P.I., Kinsey Millhone, to find out just what has happened to Dr. Dowan Purcell.

Dowan hasn't been in touch with Fiona, or anyone else, for almost nine weeks. He simply disappeared one night after making his rounds at the nursing home. The local press have lost interest in the doctor's disappearance and the cops now consider it a cold case. In fact, they think that Dowan might have purposely disappeared for reasons yet unknown. As Kinsey delves into the case she learns that Dowan seems to have been juggling more than enough problems to walk away from. His new wife, who is an ex-stripper, doesn't seem to be too overly concerned about her missing husband and is not quite the model wife, after all. Crystal also has a troublesome teenage daughter who seems to be vying for the title of Miss-Teenage-Pain-in-the-Butt, making the Dowan's home far from a tranquil environment.

If things weren't bad enough at home, Dr. Purcell might have become tangled in some sort of Medicare fraud. To top it off, his 'friendly' ex-wife, Fiona, has been hitting her ex up for more cash. Who wouldn't want to run away from the good doctor's life? As usual, Grafton gives her readers as much local color and California-crazy attitude as she does clues to solve. P is for Peril is sure to please her legion of readers.